[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 185 (Sunday, November 19, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S17470]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CONTINUING NEGOTIATIONS ON THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished majority leader. 
He has been a tireless worker in this effort. We have another long day 
ahead of us today. Just addressing the issue that the distinguished 
majority leader raised, among the discussions that we had yesterday, 
again, he framed very accurately the fact that the 7-year balanced 
budget, that seems to be agreed upon really by both sides. The 
controversy that remains today to be negotiated is in the area of how 
you formulate the economic assumptions by which, over a period of the 7 
years, the goal of a balanced budget is reached.
  As the distinguished leader pointed out, the Congressional Budget 
Office primarily serves the Congress. The Office of Management and 
Budget serves the President of the United States. We feel very 
strongly, of course, that the CBO, Congressional Budget Office, will 
continue in the primary role of ascertaining those economic 
assumptions. Nevertheless, it seems, as the discussions went yesterday, 
there was certainly an offer on the side of the Congress to permit, for 
example, the unified balanced budget in subsection (a), which we talked 
about in this language shall be estimated by the Congressional Budget 
Office based on their most current economic and technical assumptions, 
following a thorough consultation and review with the Office of 
Management and Budget--again, involving the President and his principal 
advisers.

  Incidentally, Mr. President, most importantly, ``and other Government 
and private experts,'' which means that the Congress is not endeavoring 
to cloister itself simply with one set of economic factors. It simply 
is reaching out to the widest possible range to make the economic 
assumptions in a manner which, hopefully, would be acceptable to both 
the President and the Congress.
  I am pleased to be here today with my colleagues to continue this 
most valuable work. I yield the floor.

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